It Must Be Fate
by Endless Questions
Summary: Instead of dying in Italy, Edward returns home safe. But Bella is having conflicting feelings about Edward and Jake. Can a dream change her perceptions? Will it have lasting effects? Joint story with Unexpected Answers. Rated M for later chapters. ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Guess what! Yep, that's right new story out! This time, I'm writing with the help of a VERY good friend of mine Unexpected Answers. By the way, this story is Unexpected Answers VERY FIRST STORY, yep, I got her hooked a couple weeks ago ********. Anyway this story is about Bella and Jake. It starts near the end of New Moon when Bella finds out that Edward thinks she killed herself. But…as some of us have been thinking, she takes him back too quickly, especially since he made her life hell for months. So this is our story, the way the Twilight story should have gone. As always do us a favor, Read, Review, and Add Us!!!!**

**DISCLAIMER: We will only post this once, since the fact that we DO NOT own Twilight will never change**

**CHAPTER 1**

When Alice told me what Edward was planning to do I felt my knees give out and was only saved from physical pain by Alice's slim but steely arms catching me. I didn't know if I was just shocked by the news that a vampire could kill itself, or by the fact that my heart wasn't telling me to be on a plane immediately to save him.

"What are we going to do Bella?" she asked. I'd never heard her uncertain like this before. Usually she was always the leader, the first to act.

"Alice," I whimpered, "I…I don't want him to die, but…he left me Alice, he didn't want me. There has to be another reason for him to do this, it can't be that he thinks I'm dead. I'm not going to stop him from doing whatever he wants to do, he wouldn't want me to."

Alice was gaping at me. "Bella, are you insane? The man you love is about to kill himself! And your just going to here twiddling your thumbs?" she demanded.

"Who says I even love him anymore? A lot has changed since he left Alice, since all of you left. I don't know what my heart wants anymore, but my head is telling me to stay right here."

"Bella," Alice whined, not like pouting, but in a different way, a way that kind of scared me. "At least… call him? Please? Maybe if you call him he'll realize it's okay, he's not answering anyone else's calls."

I closed me eyes and sighed, "alright Alice, just a minute." I paced back and forth a few times and finally grabbed the phone and dialed the number I still knew by heart. It rang and rang and finally went to voicemail, I closed my eyes against my emotions and said after the beep, "Edward, it's me Bella. I'm alright. Alice told me that Rose told you I was dead. I'm not Edward; I'm safe and sound right here in my house. Please, please don't do whatever you're planning to do. I—" and I couldn't finish that sentence. I didn't know if I missed him, if I wanted him to come back here, if I loved him. My emotions were going crazy. I knew in some small part of both my brain and my heart, I still loved this man, this vampire that had promised to love me forever. So to ease my own pain a little and to try to get him back to his family safely I said, "I want you to come back Edward, please come back." That left a wide range of other things I hadn't said, things that would have roped me to him again, and I didn't know if I wanted that.

I sank down onto the couch after I hung up and curled up in a ball. The room seemed to have gotten colder all of a sudden.

"Thank you so much Bella," Alice whispered. "You don't know how what this will mean to Esme, and how much it means to me. For you to…I know your feelings even if I'm not like Jasper, I know you're conflicted but you called him anyway. Thank you."

"Alice, no matter what my emotions are I couldn't just let him kill himself. I might hang around with vampires, but that doesn't mean I don't have morals. And letting someone off themselves is not my idea of being moral. Oh, and Alice, just because…it went to voicemail. He might not get it in time…"

"Just you trying is enough Bella. Where's your werewolf?" she asked with a smile.

"I don't know, probably out patrolling or something…I wasn't very happy that he didn't let me talk to Edward when he called…I mean sure I'm not going to jump into his arms and beg him to take me back, but still…I should have the right to talk to him. I think Jake realized that I needed space, that I needed to get my thoughts in order."

"Ah, I wish he was here, I have a splitting headache."

I smiled at her, "and why would Jake being here make that better? Wouldn't him being here make it worse?" I asked.

She shook her head, making her short hair fly around. "Nope, when the wolves are near me everything goes black, but when Jacob is around me it goes black and the headaches I tend to get disappear too. I noticed it last time I saw him."

"Oh, well then you guys are a match made in heaven aren't you?" I teased, unable to be sad enough about Edward not to smile.

She contemplated me, "no Bella, we aren't. If I had to say who a perfect match for Jake was, it would be you. You two have so many of the same quality, you're both mostly human, you're both clumsy, and you have something about you that draws others to you. You and Edward…I don't mean to hurt your already messed up feelings, but you two never struck me as even a compatible match. If you were on you wouldn't even know each other. But I've always been glad he brought you home, you're my sister now."

I was staring at her, shocked, "you think me…and Jake?" I asked incredulously.

She frowned, her perfectly arched eyebrows drawing together, "isn't that why you're conflicted? Because you like Jake but you don't know how to feel about Edward?" she asked.

I had known there was something different, but I hadn't connected that something with Jake. He was just there, always, a perfect friend, an amazing addition to my messed up life. "I…I don't know." I said evasively.

"Uhuh, sure." She was grinning at me like the devil and I blushed in spite of myself.

Thankfully, before I could answer or tell her she was wrong, the phone rang and I grabbed it up. "Hello?" I asked.

"Bella? Bella is that you?" asked _his_ voice over the receiver.

I felt my grip on the phone and my sanity slipping. Resolving to not be weak about this I clutched the phone and pulled myself in, "yes Edward, it's me. Rose was mistaken about—"

"It doesn't matter Bella. I'm coming home. I'm at the airport in Italy right now. I'll be there in a few hours!"

I was gasping for breath and finally choked out, "that's wonderful." I handed the phone to Alice, sat down with my head between my legs and breathed. It wasn't helping at all.

"Hello? Edward! Oh thank goodness we got to you in time. You're coming home? Yay! Oh, um well I can't be sure but I think she's hyperventilating. She'll be fine. Oh yeah, I guess I should take care of her huh? Alright, I'll talk to you later. Um…you want to give Carlisle and them a call and tell them to pick you up?" she asked.

I couldn't hear what he said on the other end; I wasn't special enough to have acute hearing, and I was having enough trouble just keeping my breathing semi steady.

"Of course I'm staying here! Alright, see you in a while. Bye." She pushed the end button and the little beep it made echoed in my head a thousand times.

"Alice, he's coming back," I whispered.

"I know, I could hear your conversation remember, and he told me himself. Don't worry; everything will work out how it's supposed to. Even though I'm a vampire and 'damned' by a lot of people, I still believe in fate. What happens from here was meant to happen."


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, we are soo confused…this story just doesn't want to go right..if you haven't noticed you have to put in Jacob first for the characters and then Bella and romance for genre and T for rating or it's like impossible to find this story. Hopefully after we add this chapter it'll stop being so difficult. It might be easier for you to just add us to your lists and hope it works that way. Sorry for the inconvenience, hope you like this chapter. This chapter was almost solely written by Unexpected Answers, her very first attempt. Read and Review PLEASE!**

**CHAPTER 2**

It was almost 2 o'clock in the morning and I still couldn't fall asleep. I just couldn't shut my mind up!! I kept thinking about him, Edward. Not to mention another important man in my life, Jacob. Ever since Edward told me a few hours ago that he was coming back, things haven't been the same, Jake was furious when I told him, but he supported me, actually he only left like two hours ago…. But I still couldn't stop thinking about my big problem with my two guys. I wondered if this Edward would be like the old one, the one who loved me, or would he be like the one who decided the best way to protect me would be to leave me forever? I don't really understand the logic behind that…

Now I was lying here away from the vast appeal of his presence, unable to sleep, and unsure what I'm going to do about my guy problem. A problem I didn't even realize I had until Edward said he was coming back I'm not so sure. I wondered if Edward would still hate Jake as much as he had before he left. Maybe this time his hatred would be because Jake was there for me when he left, and Edward knows that he hurt me deeply, he gave Jake the chance to 'move in' so to speak. … Boys! You can't live with them, you can't live without them.

"Alright," I told myself, "Enough contemplating your love life for tonight, you've got to get some sleep for that big math test tomorrow." And with that thought I rolled over on my left side, snuggled further under the covers, and focused on emptying my mind.

I was walking through the woods. I could hardly see where I was going because of the dense fog; objects that must have been 10 feet in front of me would appear to jump out of nowhere and were just as quickly swallowed up as I made my way deeper into the forest. It was starting to get colder, and damper, the farther I moved along. After I don't know how long, the trees began to thin, and the mist began to clear. The ground was sloping upward and becoming rockier. I turned a corner and was amazed by the object instantly revealed to me.

It was a giant glacier. It must have been 200 feet high and it stretched for miles northward, and faded away into the distance. This was what have been generating the heavy mist that I had been walking through. I could see the tendrils of the fog radiating off the glacier and sinking into the valley I had just climbed out of.

As I took in the enormity of the glacier, suddenly a ray of sunlight broke through the heavy cloud cover and shined directly onto the side of the glacier I was facing. The sunlight transformed what had been an enormous chunk of ice into a sparkling blue mirror. The light refracted off the uneven faces of the ice and shone through to reveal trapped rocks and air bubbles hidden deep below the surface. The dark swirling mist was transformed into a golden shroud that seemed to caress the edges of the glacier.

I was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I was unable to take my eyes off of it for a number of minutes and I knew I would have been content to gaze upon this sight forever. But the clouds began to thicken and the sunlight was hidden again. Now I was looking at something completely different. After the initial dazzle had worn off, I began to see the tremendous power this glacier possessed. Everything in its path would surely parish as this ancient bulldozer made its slow journey farther south. Nothing could stand in the way of this object without being crushed under hundreds of unyielding tons of ice and rock. I also realized how cold it was this close to the glacier.

The alluring power of this ancient object had hypnotized me, and I momentarily lost all sense of myself and my safety. I was shivering violently. Now I was scared, I had to get away from this powerful force that brought about destruction were ever it went. Whole mountains would be leveled beneath this mighty predator. Entire forests would be swallowed and crushed between the jaws of this beast; rivers would be diverted from beds they had long travelled. Whole landscapes would be inexplicably altered, and nothing could stop it…

I turned away from this mysterious, beautiful and deadly thing and ran. I fled from its cold embrace and certain death. I had stopped shivering, a sign of the onset of hypothermia. I could hardly feel my own extremities and I had to look down at them to make sure they were still there. Without my mind realizing it, my legs had taken me out of the valley of destruction and higher up the mountain, which would surely crumble beneath the monster's might, whether it be months, years or millennia from now.

The farther I moved from the glacier the warmer the air around me became, and the safer I felt. I came into an open glade, filled with wild flowers and sunlight. I was exhausted, so I lay down and after stretching out my legs and placing my hands beneath my head, I closed my eyes. The sound of buzzing bees and chirping insects greeted me, along with the rustling of leaves against slender shoots of grass, lightly bowing in the wind. The warmth of the sun was beating down on my face and painting the insides of my eyelids a deep reddish pink. A gentle breeze tousled wisps of hair across my face. Complete peace and safety, cradled me in its arms.

I tried to think of why this place felt so different from the glacial field. Why was this place so much more welcoming than that other? I realized it was the warmth, the sunlight, which encouraged life. It was the glorious, strong sun which shares its power with the world and embraces life, this is what made me feel content. A feeling so much different from the fear I felt towards the glacier which only takes life and destroys it. The other place had been a land of ice and cold and darkness. An eerie silence had consumed that place, because anything living and moving that had been there before had fled just as I had.

This place was alive!! Everywhere there were signs to attest to this fact, the grass, the flowers, the birds and the insects and especially the warmth from the sun. It delicately embraced all objects within its reach. Its appearance was not sure destruction, like the glacier. In fact, without it life would cease to exist as I knew it, and I happened to enjoy life the way it was.

All of these ideas comforted me and finally lulled me into a deep sleep.

Suddenly I was no longer asleep; suddenly my room was flooded by a brightness that I could only think to be the light on my ceiling. I squinted my eyes, shocked and a little angry at this intrusion into the already limited amount of sleep I'd gotten tonight. Sitting up, about to yell at someone, my eyes went wide. Seeing him in person was different from in my head. Seeing him in person made me want him back, made me wonder what I had been thinking when I told Alice I didn't care what he did. And then I snapped back to reality.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, hope you enjoy this chapter. Neither Unexpected Answers nor I have ever done a joint story before so we're trying to work out the kinks, not to mention we're like 4 hours from each other and have to communicate all on email. But we think we did pretty good so far. This chapter was written pretty much equally between us then spliced together. Really hope you like this chapter, let us know if there's something we should change…suggestions welcome…constructive criticism welcome too. Read and Review.**

**CHAPTER 3**

In less than a second Edward was at my side and hugging me tightly. He looked rather haggard, if a vampire could look like that, and his eyes were full of some unreadable expression.

"Oh Bella I missed you so much," he murmured into my hair. "As soon as I heard your voice I knew I had to see you. I couldn't kill myself if you were still on this earth. Thinking that you were gone, it made me realize how much I need you, how much you have become a part of me," he spoke elegantly.

My heart clenched and in an instant his lips were on mine. The passion of his kiss was like nothing we had ever shared before and I have to admit that for a few moments I responded to his passion in earnest. When I realized what I was doing, I immediately stopped. Sensing my reluctance he quickly separated our lips and sat back, but would not relinquish his hold on me..

"What's wrong love?" he asked, examining my face like he'd been devoid of it for centuries.

"Edward, I'm not ready for this. I don't…I can't just pick up where we left off. It's too soon for me to just jump into something with you," I replied, trying to make this as simple and painless as possible. "I'm glad you're alive, Edward, really I am. What were you thinking, trying to kill yourself like that? You didn't even try to see if I was truly dead, that was stupid of you," I told him matter-of-factly. I may not love him anymore, but that didn't mean I wanted him dead.

"I guess you're right, Bella. I may have overracted slightly," he said. Biggest understatement of the century, in my opinion.

"Things have changed since you left," I started. Oh boy, I was not looking forward to this.

"What do you mean? " he said, looking into my eyes like they would jump out and tell him what I was so hesitant to say. "You…you don't want me?" he asked, seeming to glean that much from my silence. I didn't answer and I guess this gave him all the answer he needed. "But on the phone, you said you wanted me to come back!"

"Edward! Can you even imagine how Esme or Carlisle or Alice would have felt if you'd killed yourself?" I asked, getting agitated that he was making this much more difficult than it had to be.

"What do they have to do with this Bella?" he asked.

"Come on, why are you making this so hard for me Edward? Can't you tell how much you hurt me? How hard I'm trying to make this easy for both of us? I just…I can't jump into anything with you Edward. I don't trust you to not break my heart again. And this time, Jake might not be there to put it back together."

"Jake? As in Jacob Black? You're with him now?" Edward demanded, standing straight up in a flash with a hard look in his eyes.

I got up too, frowning at him. "No I am not _with_ him Edward Cullen! We just hang out a lot. And it's not like it's any of your business anymore is it? You left me Edward, you left me in the godforsaken forest because 'it was better for me this way, I was safer this way'. Safe from what Edward? Being hurt? Oh yeah you took care of that really well! You tore my heart from my chest and threw it away Edward! Can you even begin to imagine what a mess I've been since you left? The only thing that held me together was Jake. You have no right to question what I do or who I do it with, not anymore. What right do you think you have to come here and act surprised that I have no idea how I feel about you? After all you've done to me you're lucky I'm even talking to you! As for you coming back, I only called you because Alice begged me, because I knew how heartbroken your family would be if they lost you." I had pushed it too far, I knew I had. But he had made me so angry with his accusations; he needed to know how I felt, needed to know there was no chance for us.

"Bella…I really was trying to protect you. And I really did love you, I still do. Give me a chance to prove it to you again. I never meant for any of this to happen," he whispered, looking into my eyes pleadingly.

"I can't guarantee you a chance Edward, you hurt me, maybe beyond repair. You broke my heart and somehow think that just by showing you you'll be able to fix everything, make it go back to sunshine and daisies. I don't know how I'm feeling, and I don't know when I'll know. But I won't push you away yet. We'll see what happens," I said, unable to shut him from my life so completely now that he was back.

"That's all I ask Bella. I need to go, no one else knows I'm here, well, they didn't anyway, Alice has probably told them by now. Can I…will you let me call you? Let me see you?" he asked.

I contemplated and came to a decision. "I will call you if I want to talk to you, and you can see me, if you have Alice or someone with you. It's not because I'm afraid to be alone with you Edward," I said quickly when he tried to protest that he wouldn't hurt me, "it's because I don't know how I'll act with you alone, and I can't let how I felt about you get in the way of how I might feel now."

"I guess that's better than nothing. Thank you Bella, for letting me know you were still alive. Even if you end up not being mine, I'll be glad to know you're safe and happy. It's funny, in the beginning I wanted you to forget about me, move on. But when I realized I could never stop loving you, you do exactly what I no longer what you to do. I need to leave," he said abruptly.

He didn't wait for me to say good bye, he just flitted right out the window into the darkness. I heaved an enormous sigh and laid back down, throwing an arm over my forehead while I contemplated the new predicament I'd gotten myself into.

The next day was Sunday so I slept in as long as possible, or until I started to think about Jake and then I practically jumped from my bed. I was just pulling my jacket on and opening the door to go down to La Push to see him when I gasped and stepped back. There he was, standing in front of me with a huge grin on his face.

I couldn't believe how hard my heart pounded just seeing him there in my doorway. A grin took over my face as well and I stepped forward to hug him. I couldn't say that I knew I loved him, not yet. I was so confused right now that just thinking period was giving me a headache, but I was glad to see him, and thankfully I didn't have to walk down my steps, who knew what injury I could have procured from that. He laughed a little and hugged me back before putting his arm around my shoulders and leading me back inside closing the door behind us.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone, this is Unexpected Answers. I would just like to say a big 'THANKS' to everyone that reviewed! You are the ones that make this whole project worthwhile. So, here's chapter 4, Endless Questions and I kind of did something different this time, we each wrote half of the story. **

**Her's is the stuff leading up to the fight scene, sorry if I just gave something away, and I wrote the rest. This chapter is kind of long to accommodate our ideas…But most of the chapters shouldn't be this long. So please read and review!! **

**CHAPTER 4**

We went up to my room, since it was both the cleanest and the most comfortable and sat down on the bed. Now that Jake was here I realized how tired I still was and lay down.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked with his special grin, bouncing on the bed a little.

Well I'd say that was obvious. I barely got any sleep last night and I think I deserve some rest" I grumbled through the pillow. I felt him stop bouncing, then I felt him flop down beside me and pull me back against him so my back was to his chest. "What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I'm going back to sleep," he replied simply. I began to protest but then I realized how comfortable he was, how warm, and how long it had been since anyone had slept with me, just simply slept. And then I remembered that Edward hadn't slept, he'd just sat there, Jake had the capability to fall asleep with me after a long night of reminiscing. He could sit there at breakfast with me and enjoy the same foods I ate. He could simply be around me and not have an almost uncontrollable urge to rip my throat out. Before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep curled up against him.

We woke around noon, when my stomach growled. Laughing, Jake got up and held out his hand for me. With a smile I took it, got up, and followed him downstairs to the kitchen. I couldn't believe how refreshed I felt, how rested, and we hadn't even really slept that long.

"What are we going to make for lunch?" Jake asked, going to the fridge and rooting around without asking first. This was one of the many things I loved about Jake. He didn't feel the need to ask to do every single thing he did. Sure he had manners when it counted, but for something as simple as looking for food, he was sensible, unlike Edward who was "gentlemanly" all the time, except when he left me in the woods all by myself after breaking my heart. But I wasn't going to dwell on that, I was going to move on, forget about it.

"I don't know…do we have any pizza in the freezer?" I asked, sitting down at the table.

After a little rummaging he produced a DiGiorno pizza, pepperoni and sausage, rising crust, my favorite. After letting the oven preheat for a while, Jake popped the pizza inside and came to sit next to me.

"So…are you ready to see Cullen today? He's supposed to be back today right?" Jake asked. Now that I'd gotten a somewhat adequate amount of sleep I could tell he'd been dying to ask me this since he'd gotten here this morning.

I debated whether to tell him that I'd already seen Edward, and decided that if I didn't tell him he would find out anyway and then get mad that I'd lied to him. "Um…actually Jake…I've already seen him. He came to my house last night…" I said hesitantly. "That's why I didn't get very much sleep."

To my utter shock, Jake grinned, "I know Bella. I could smell that he'd been there recently. I only wanted to ask to see what you would tell me. I'm so glad you didn't try lying to me," he said quietly, taking one of my hands in both of his. "So are you going to see him today?" he asked more seriously this time.

I could read his underlying question: _Are you going back to him? Are you leaving me for him?_ Jake and I had been hanging out long enough that pretty much everyone thought we were together. Though we both knew this wasn't the case, it was easier to look at it that way.

"I don't know…it'll depend on whether or not Alice or one of the other Cullens is there…" I replied.

Jake got a more than slightly crestfallen look on his face. "Oh, you want to be alone with him." This statement was clearly not a question.

I actually laughed, "no, I do not want to be alone with him! I set limits last night. He can't call me, if I want to talk to him I'll call him. And he can't see me unless one of the Cullens is with us."

Jake's face broke into an enormous smile, the one I loved to see most on his face. "Wow Bella, I didn't think you'd be able to stand up to his…charm."

As we sat there, looking at each other, an almost tangible force started to push me toward him. Apparently, that same force was pushing him toward me, because we met halfway and my hands twined around his neck and his went around my waist and we were kissing. I'd never kissed him before, never kissed anyone except for Edward, and I realized what a pleasant different the whole being alive thing made.

"Oh, sorry to interrupt," said a voice, totally interrupting. And I could tell by the tone that they were completely not sorry at all. We broke apart and I could sense that Jake's glare matched my own as we looked at our intruder.

Edward was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, seemingly all alone.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing in my house? And didn't I say you couldn't see me alone?" I demanded, getting to my feet. Jacob was on his feet beside me in a flash, one arm protectively around my waist.

Edward seemed surprised, "I…I didn't think you would remember. But I figured, just in case…Alice is sitting on the porch, talking to Jasper on her cell phone." His voice still sounded as intoxicating as ever, but I didn't find myself the least bit drawn to him. In fact, I was getting more mad.

"That does not explain the fact that you are in my house, without knocking, without being invited, and without a Cullen _with_ you!" I replied, my voice tight and growing louder.

"I'm sorry! I just…I'm so used to just walking in, when Charlie's not home…" Edward apologized.

"I don't care what you used to do Edward. We are not together, we are not friends, we are nothing. And until or if we are something, you will not come in my house without my permission, and I don't care if Alice is outside this house, unless she is standing in the same room you can not see me." My rules were getting stricter and stricter, probably because I knew he would continue to try to find loop holes in them.

"But Jacob is here, is that not enough 'protection' for you?" Edward asked sarcastically.

I looked up at Jacob, then back at Edward, "Jacob is not the issue here Edward, and don't try to drag him into our personal problems. You knew my rules last night before you left, you deliberately came here to test the waters and you've found that the water may be a little too deep for you. My rule still stands; a Cullen must always be in the room, even if Jake and the whole wolf pack are there too."

"Why Bella, it appears you've grown a backbone," Edward sneered, his face transforming into something ugly.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that you leech!" Jacob practically yelled, his arm tightening around me a fraction.

Edward turned his sneer on Jake, "and what do you plan to do about it pup?"

Jake was shaking now, trying to fight down the urge to attack Edward. The vampire in turn had crouched down a little, his customary defensive move. Abruptly I stepped between them, putting on hand on Jacob's shaking chest.

And this was how Alice found us, me, a mere human trying to stop the fight of the century about to take place between a vampire and a werewolf. and instead of stepping in to help me, a grin broke over her face and she said, "oh! Hello Jacob!" sounding far too happy about seeing him.

Alice's little greeting momentarily distracted Jacob, he glanced up at her, and that was the moment Edward attacked. Jacob stepped in front of me in an instant, putting himself in greater danger. Faster than my eyes could register, Edward had an arm twisted around Jake's massive neck and it looked to me like he was squeezing with all his might, which had to be a hell of a lot.

This was the point where Jake let himself transform and came crouching down on all fours. As he did this Edward stumbled at the sudden change of position and lost his hold on Jake.

For some reason Alice and I seemed to be glued to our spots on the floor as we watched this battle rage on. As the two of them grappled in my kitchen, turning over the kitchen table and sending the chairs flying, I noticed the tattered remains of Jake's clothes strewn about the room.

For some reason I found this amusing, but then I snapped back to reality. I had to stop this before they killed one another! I looked up at Alice and saw that she appeared to be dumbfounded by what she was seeing, she was obviously not going to be able to help me any time soon.

I leapt into action and started running towards the boys, or creatures, who had somehow wrestled themselves into the living room.

"STOP IT!!" I shouted at them. Of course they ignored me. I tried again, "Stop fighting! You're destroying my house!"

At this point Jake appeared to be trying to bite Edward's leg off, and Edward was pounding Jake on the head, trying to get him to release it. Now I was really worried. I knew Jake was a fast healer but I don't think anyone can heal after they have their skull crushed in. I looked around the room for something, anything that might help me against a werewolf and a vampire.

For some reason there was a baseball bat propped up in the corner of the room, I didn't think a flimsy chuck of wood would have much of an affect against two powerful, supernatural beings, but it was the best I could do. I ran to it, took it in my hand, spun around and started smashing it on the back of Edward's head with all my might. Surprisingly my assault seemed to faze him, and he quickly backhanded me. I flew backwards a few feet and slammed into the wall, where I slowly slid down its length, collapsing on the floor. I instantly knew something was broken, I think maybe my left collar bone, that was about where Edward hit me.

I closed my eyes and started gasping in pain. I could hear the boys continue to fight, and the sound of more objects being broken and furniture being knocked out of its original position.

Suddenly there was a cool hand on my face, and Alice was whispering in my ear, asking if I was alright. Great, now she decided to do something.

"Alice, make them stop, they're gonna kill each other," I pleaded with her through clenched teeth.

"I called Carlisle and he, Emmett and Jasper are on their way," she responded, "but I have to help you first, you're hurt." I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was really scared, I have to admit that I was pretty scared to.

"I'll be alright," I tried to reassure her, although I don't think she was too convinced when a moment later, I shrieked as a stabbing pain shot from my broken collar bone, all the way down my arm to my finger tips. The nerves in my arm and fingers felt like they were on fire and I knew I was in trouble.

I could tell that in a few moments I would likely be unconscious. I was light headed and as I struggled to open my eyes, I realized that they were having a hard time focusing. The pain continued to get worse and now I prayed to loss consciousness, just to escape it.

I heard the sound of the fighting halt abruptly. "Bella!" Jake shouted, "Oh my god, what happened to you?!"

I squinted across the room at him and saw that he and Edward were no longer fighting. They were both staring at me, like I was performing some kind of amazing trick.

Jake rushed over to my side in the next instant and that was when I registered that he was completely naked. But unlucky me, this was the moment when my mind slipped into unconsciousness, I think I may have mumbled 'No fair' before I was completely out, but then again maybe not.


	5. Chapter 5

**So here's chapter 5. We are so sorry it's been so long. We've both been super busy with college stuff and haven't had much time to write. We're hoping that updates will be a little more regular from now on though, and that interest in this story will pick up some more. We really appreciate all of you adding us to you're lists, but we would appreciate more reviews as well, to tell us how we're doing and if things need to be different. Anyway, hope you like, review, and enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 5**

I woke later, not sure where I was and not remembering what had happened. I could hear a beeping and had been in the hospital enough to know that sound anywhere. I actually rolled my eyes, wondering why these things always happened to me. And then I made the mistake of trying to sit up, and felt a red hot pain shoot through my collar bone.

It was then that the events that had taken place at my house came back to me. The fight, my 'intervention', Edward's backhand, my broken bones, and Jacob, wonderful Jacob, and I'd missed it. I groaned against the injustice and the pain.

"Bella?" asked a soft voice nearby. I glanced around carefully and saw Jake sitting in a chair next to me, concern clear in his face. Standing by the windows was Alice, which surprised me a little.

"Jake," I said hoarsely, my throat was incredibly dry. It seemed Jacob noticed this, because he held a cup to my lips with a straw and the refreshingly cool feeling of water filled my mouth. When I was done I looked back at him. "What…what happened? How bad is it?" I asked.

"Well, I assume you remember the fight and that Edward hit you…When I realized something was wrong I came to you and Alice and I brought you to the hospital. Doc Cullen says you broke your collar bone pretty bad, but if it heals right it should be just fine."

I nodded, "and Edward?" I asked. My voice was filled with ice, almost hatred for the vampire I had once loved, and now almost certainly despised.

"He ran off when he realized what he'd done to you. The guys are here, waiting to see you, Sam was really mad about what Edward did to you…and the rest of the Cullens were here earlier, they said they would come back when we left, didn't want to cause any more problems. Alice wouldn't leave you though. She thinks it's her fault, because she didn't do anything about the fight."

I smiled, "Alice, come on! You know me, I just can't go a week without getting hurt or I start going through withdrawals."

She turned around with a small smile, but her eyes were full of pain. "But don't you see Bella, this is why Edward left, made the rest of us leave, we just end up hurting you."

"No, Alice don't say that! Don't leave again," I pleaded.

She shook her head, "we aren't leaving Bella, but that is part of the reason we left before. Carlisle says you should be able to leave in a few days if you stay calm and quiet."

I nodded. "I suppose the pack has eaten the hospital out of all their food?" I asked Jake.

He grinned, "nope, they leave to eat; Emily has been going overtime because they're worried about you and so eat even more than usual to have something to do."

"Well then you better let them come in and see me before they make a beggar out of that poor woman. Really I think she should charge for feeding all you!"

"That hurts Bella!" Jake joked. He got to his feet fluidly and I was overcome momentarily with envy that he was no longer as clumsy as I was. After squeezing my hand once, he left the room. Barely a minute went by before the group of rowdy guys came into the room, laughing and joking. Sam, Emily, and Jake came in slowly behind them.

"Hey Bella! How you feeling?" Quil asked.

I smiled back at him, "oh I'm great Quil! I only have a broken collar bone…but other than that….I'm really great."

"What is _she_ still doing here?" Paul demanded, looking daggers at Alice.

"Alice is Bella's friend, Paul," Sam replied simply.

"So? The reason she's in here is because of her 'brother'," Paul sneered.

"Yes, but she is not her brother, and you will treat her with respect no matter what you feel for Edward," I said, not letting Sam reply. This was my life and I would dictate who was in it and who was not. Paul looked at me in surprise, apparently shocked that I was actually standing up for myself.

When he opened his mouth Sam finally stepped forward, "Paul, Bella said it was fine, this is her hospital room, she makes the decisions. Just ease off a bit."

Paul sighed and sat down sullenly.

"Anyway, how are you Bella?" Sam asked, wrapping his arm around Emily's waist.

"I'm okay, really. A little sore but I've had worse," I replied with a small wince. Truthfully I had to admit to myself that this was by far the worse injury I had sustained, and that included my broken leg.

The whole group looked at me skeptically.

"So what happened anyway?" Embry asked.

I looked at Jake sharply. He shook his head looking a little ashamed. "I didn't tell them about it, I just…I wasn't able to protect you. I figured they would taunt me and stuff…"

I smiled endearingly at him, "you were there when I needed you, that's all that matters. Anyway, this is the story. Jake came to my house to hang out with me. Later in the day Edward showed up and we got in an argument. Jake didn't like how Edward was talking to me and they got in a fight. They were doing a good job of destroying my house and I tried to stop them. Edward…he…um….well he…" I couldn't make myself finish. Though I was almost to the point of hating him, I still couldn't believe what he'd done to me.

I looked up at Jake, and then over to Alice where she was still standing by the window. Her arms were crossed around her waist and she looked almost sad, hurt even.

"Bella, just tell them! They'll find out anyway, once they and Jake phase, they share a mind link remember," she said quietly. All eyes went to the short pixie-like vampire as she looked at me.

I heaved a sigh, and then gasped when pain lanced through my collar bone. When it stopped hurting I opened my mouth again but this time I was stopped by something else. Someone was standing in the doorway, lit from behind by the hall light. He was tall and lithely muscular and I could see the bronze of his hair from where I was surrounded by people.

"He hit her, threw her across the room, slammed her into the wall, hurt her beyond anything anyone has ever done, perhaps beyond repair," came his silky, captivating voice. The whole wolf pack whirled at the sound and the air visibly shook as the men prepared to phase.

"Stop!" I said forcefully. They glanced at me before focusing their full attention on the vampire at the door, the one who had hurt me, who could possibly have killed me with one hit.

"Bella how can you say that!?" Jared asked, "this _leech_ could have killed you! And he has the nerve to show up here?"

"I know who and what he is Jared. I don't think I will need any of you to ever tell me that. Now stop it right now unless you want the whole world to know that you all turn into giant hormonal mongrels!"

"I agree with Bella. In fact, I think all of you, every single one of you expect Alice should leave right now and not come back until you've gotten over your egos!" Emily demanded a very angry icy look in her eyes.

With barely a hesitation from most of them, really only Edward and Jacob, they left the room.

"I'm not leaving her!" Jake almost yelled.

"I need to talk to her!" Edward said at the same time, though quite a bit softer.

"Neither of you will do any such thing! Jake you can come back tomorrow. Edward, I'm sorry but you will have to wait until she either goes home, or she asks for you to come. She…Doctor Cullen told me while we were waiting that she needs to be kept calm, because she's prone to rash actions and could re-hurt herself."

Edward nodded in resignation and looked to the window. "Alice?" he asked.

She closed her eyes and opened them again, looking at him. "yes Edward, I'll keep you informed. Now please just go," she said. Edward looked at me now, and his golden eyes were filled with a pain that I could never describe, this was not a physical pain, or even a mental pain, this was pain from the soul and I felt my iciness toward him melt a little.

Without another word Edward flitted from the doorway. Jacob turned quickly and came to my side. "I'm sorry Bella, I'll be back tomorrow," he whispered squeezing my hand. I smiled softly at him and gestured for him to come closer. He leaned down so he was right in front of me and I lifted my head slightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"If you aren't here in the morning Jacob Black I will hurt you when I get out of here," I whispered back at him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone, this is Unexpected Answers. Endless Questions and I are so sorry about this chapter taking so long to get to you. Trust me when I say, I feel very guilty about that. **

**But I really think all of you Jake fans out there will like this chapter, which happens to be solely my work this time, the next chapter will be mostly Endless Questions, in case you're wondering. Hope you enjoy, we'll try to do better next time! R&R**

**CHAPTER 6**

Now that the boys were gone that just left Alice standing in my room. She had turned her attention back to the window, appearing fascinated with whatever was on the other side.

"Alice…" I whispered. She immediately turned her beautiful golden eyes on me and quickly rushed over to my bedside.

She took my hand, "Are you in any pain?" she questioned, "All this excitement can't be good for your healing process," she stated matter-of-factly. "You humans are so fragile, I don't understand how you make it through the day," she said, a little smile spreading across her face.

"No, I'm not in any pain," I told her. Well that was half true, I wasn't in any _physical_ pain, but my heart sure seemed to be taking a beating right now.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" She asked in such a sincere, caring voice that it brought tears to my eyes.

"Alice…" I whimpered again, this time the tears spilled from my eyes as I broke into racking sobs.

Before the first tear had completed its trail down my cheek, I was wrapped in Alice's gentle arms. I felt safe in the shelter of those arms, and for a time I just laid my head against her cool shoulder and wept.

Slowly but surely my tears began to slow and then stopped altogether. I felt surprisingly refreshed and clear-headed after my cry. Maybe now I would be able to straighten things out once and for all.

I was still resting in Alice's arms and slowly wrapped my arms around her slim frame, returning her embrace.

"Thank you," I whispered, "For being such a good friend. I think I'm going to lay back against the bed now."

She released me from her embrace, and took my hand instead, as she sat down on the side of my bed. I rested against the pillows, and noticed that she never even disturbed the bed as she perched herself on its edge, which I credited to her graceful nature.

If big old Jake had attempted such a stunt, I knew that he whole bed would have probably groaned and shrieked with his added weight. Heck, it would probably have collapsed on the floor. This mental image brought a smile to my face.

"What's so funny?" she asked me, looking happier herself because I was happy.

"Oh, nothing, just thought of something amusing," I replied, smiling up at her.

She returned my smile, then let it slowly slip from her face, "Can you tell me what you were so upset about earlier?"

I lost my smile too, and began to answer her, the words catching in my throat at first, "It's just… I'm so, confused."

I looked away from her then, and stared out the window, but gripping her hand tighter all the while.

After a few moments I returned my gaze to her face, "I loved him; I really _loved_ him, Alice." I could feel the tears starting to rise again, but I pushed them back down, I was done crying over him, I told myself, never again would I shed another tear for the sake of Edward Cullen.

"I loved him," I repeated, "But he still left me. No, he did more than that. He vanished, disappeared, tried to make it like he never existed. It would have been different if he had just dumped me, I think I may have been able to handle that easier. Instead he tried to erase his existence, and I found myself wondering if he _had_ ever been real, or if I had just dreamed it all. That's what nearly killed me Alice, thinking he had never been there, and forgetting what he looked like, sounded like, forgetting all the things that made him real."

My eyes were burning with the effort of holding back those unshed tears, but I had made a vow and I was sticking to it.

"I know Bella, I know," Alice said quietly, "As soon as he made his decision on how he was going to tell you, I saw what it would do to you, and it nearly broke my heart." Here she transferred my hand into bother of hers, placing one above it, and one below.

She gazed deep into my eyes, anguish etched all over her beautiful face, "I tried to tell him it wouldn't work, but he wouldn't listen to me. He insisted that it '_Had to work,_' no matter how many times I tried to convince him."

She turned her face away from mine, like she was ashamed to look me in the eye, "I should have tried harder," she said in a voice devoid of its bell-like quality, "It's my fault that you were so hurt and depressed."

I was shocked at this revelation, my mouth dropping into a perfect O, "Never, Alice, never. What I went through was in no way your fault, you did everything you could and he still didn't listen to you."

I couldn't stand seeing her upset over something that was beyond her control, I had to make her see that she was in no way responsible for Edward's poor decision making skills.

"You believe me, don't you?" I asked, reaching out and turning her face toward me, "It was not your fault," I added just to make sure my message sunk home.

"I guess you are right," she agreed, with a slight nod, and an even slighter smile.

"That's what I thought. And don't you ever forget it!" I laughed.

At this her smile broadened into the dazzling smile that could take your breath away. Yep, she got it alright, I thought happily.

Now getting back to the topic at hand, I hesitated for a moment then added, "And when I was starting to put things back together, he shows up in my life again, messing everything up. After I had…" Wait… what had I been about to say? After I had, _gotten over him_…? Yes that was it. I sat dumbfounded for a few moments, repeating that sentence, that thought over and over in my mind.

---_After I had gotten over him gotten over him over him after I had gotten over him_ ---

"Alice," I whispered again, my mouth had returned to that O shape on its own accord, I must have looked like a fool at that moment, well, I felt like a fool, that was for damn sure.

"Alice," I repeated, "I'm not in love with him anymore, and I wasn't until this moment that I realized it."

She looked at me with a blank expression, making it impossible for me to tell what she was thinking.

"And," I added, surprising myself because I had no idea the words were coming out until they had already passed through my lips, "I think I'm in love with Jacob."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! This is Endless Questions, and as promised this chapter is all mine. It's a little longer than usual, most of the chapters aren't this long, but for our purposes we needed this one longer. Well…as always we hope you enjoy and please, please read and review, the reviews make us really happy!**

**CHAPTER 7**

Alice just stared at me, neither condemning me nor comforting me. I had no way to know if this was because she already knew about my feelings before I did, or if she was surprised. "Well…that was a little unexpected," she admitted.

"What? That I love Jake?" I asked.

She gave her tinkling laugh, "no, that you admitted it! I've known for a while that something was going to happen with him, you're future went black one day and stayed that way…"

"Are you mad? You don't look happy," I replied, knowing my best friend well enough to know that there was indeed something wrong.

"I just…I always figured you would go back to Edward. But…no matter how much I'd love for you to be my sister, I'm glad you chose Jacob, he's better for you than Edward." After a little while of us not talking she sighed and got to her feet. "Well, I should go tell the family how you're doing, I'll be back okay?" she said quietly.

I nodded, hugging her with one arm and watching her leave the room.

I fell asleep that night contemplating my newest predicament. The meds I'd been given let me sleep without dreams, which I decided was a very good thing.

Luckily, I never had to follow through with my threat to hurt Jake if he wasn't in my room in the morning. He was sitting next to my bed looking wide eyed and cheery by 7:30.

"You hungry?" he asked.

I shook my head. Though I was not very happy with the hospital food, I had been so hungry when I woke up that I had forced myself to eat around 6:00. Now I was sitting up in my bed, my shoulder aching even though I had taken pills for it. "No, I ate already, but thanks anyway."

"When are you getting out of this prison?" he asked, glancing around with an odd twitch, as if the small white room was constricting to him.

"I'm not sure. Carlisle is coming by today to let me know how things look and when I can leave."

"Oh, okay."

I looked around since I couldn't think of anything to say and noticed immediately the absence of Alice at the window. "Where's--"

"I don't really know, she was gone when I got here….you didn't notice?" he asked.

"No, I woke up to eat but I fell asleep again....she was here when I was eating, she must have left when I went to sleep."

"I'm sure she'll be back in a little while. She promised they weren't going to leave again so she'll be back."

"Jake...what am I supposed to do about Edward?" I asked quietly, laying my head back and examining the ceiling above me.

Jake was silent so long that I picked my head up to look at him. I had never seen the expression that was on his face before. "I don't know Bells. I would tell you to cut him out of your life entirely but...you've always been too nice to the jerk, I know you won't do it."

I considered. "Maybe that _is_ what I have to do. Maybe I do have to cut him out, like skin that's infected. Sure it hurts for a while, but when it's gone the body goes back to the way it was meant to be. But...how am I going to do it?" this last statement was meant more for me than for Jake.

"A clean cut seems the best choice to me. Maybe....once you get back home you can do it."

I almost shrugged before I remembered that my collar bone was broken. "I think it'll happen when it happens, I'm not going to rush it."

We simply sat together for several hours, Jake holding my hand, me dozing in and out of sleep. Around 9:00 Carlisle came in with a smile on his face.

"Well Bella it seems to me that you are doing very well. I've checked over the x-rays now that we've set it and if you be careful I see no reason why it won't heal just fine and be just like it always was."

I smiled back at him and gave a big sigh. "Thank god! I was worried for a moment there. So can I go home today?" I asked.

Carlisle nodded as he looked at my charts. "Yes. I see no reason to keep you here when you're collar bone is set and everything else is fine. I'll go get your papers ready. Would you like me to call Charlie too?" he asked, glancing at Jake, who'd stood up the moment he came in.

"That's okay Doc. I'll give her a ride home, call Charlie on the way. Oh and thank you so much for all the help, I'm sure with a less competent doctor she wouldn't be walking out of here with such a good chance of full usage."

Carlisle looked at Jake slightly sideways, "if you don't mind I would like you to keep that in mind, and tell your pack mates next time they wish to make trouble with us. Just because you deem us 'evil' does not mean we actually are so. What kind of evil thing would work in a hospital saving people?" he asked.

Jake nodded, "I will remember it and pass it on. Thank you again."

With that Carlisle smiled at me, winked, and walked from the room.

"Well at least you're getting out of here today. What do you say we go out tonight to celebrate?" he asked.

I looked at him quickly, "oh Jake…I'm…I don't know if I'm ready for that yet." I could feel the tears in my eyes and fought as hard as I could against them.

"No, I didn't mean like that! I mean, it would be amazing to go out with you like that, but I know that won't be for a while, if ever. No, I meant out to First Beach, we're having a bonfire. I'm sure the rest of the guys would love if you came. Will you?" he asked.

I smiled indulgently at him. I loved when he was like this, the fun, carefree, silly Jake, not the moody, somewhat cruel, werewolf Jacob. "I'll have to ask Charlie first but if he says yes then I will so totally be there."

Jake gave a quiet whoop and had to rush to look nonchalant when the nurse came in to take off all the machines.

"Well you're free to do deary. Now you be careful with that shoulder of yours, pretty girl like you…we wouldn't want anything so small as a broken collar bone to stop you from being who you could be."

Jake and I glanced at each other and then I looked back at her, slightly skeptical. I couldn't tell if I should be insulted by this. "Anything so small as a broken collar bone"? Since when is that something small? Oh well, I thought. At least I'm getting out of here.

And then Jake and I were in his car heading to my house. Jake called Charlie before we left the hospital and he was waiting on the front steps as we pulled up.

"You okay Bells?" he asked as he helped me out of the Rabbit.

"Sure am, I'm just glad to be out of that place. I swear I should get paid for being there, I'm there practically as much as the people who work there!"

Charlie laughed as we went carefully up the stairs and into the house. I sank gratefully onto the couch. My pain meds, while helping with the pain, tended to make me feel a little weak.

"So…" Charlie said, sitting down in his favorite chair.

"Um…dad, would it be alright if I went to First Beach tonight with Jake? They're having a bonfire…kind of like a celebration of my homecoming…"

Charlie considered, "no I don't see why you couldn't go. I have to work the night shift anyway. I was going to ask if you wanted to go hang out with him or Alice anyway."

"Thanks dad," I said. I would have hugged him but I figured such an action would be under the "not being careful" file.

After a while I went upstairs to change into my going out clothes. I had no idea what the weather would be like so I carefully and difficultly pulled on a pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and some socks. I walked back downstairs to see Charlie and Jake sitting in the living room still. Jake helped me pull my shoes on and a few minutes later we were ready to go and I was saying good bye to Charlie.

"Have fun! And be careful Bella!" he yelled from the doorway as we made our way to the Rabbit.

The bonfire was in full swing when we got there and when the guys realized that I was there too, they swarmed over to me, practically trampled me in their excitement.

"Why didn't you tell us you were getting out today?" Quil demanded immediately.

"We wanted to surprise you. Surprise," I said weakly.

"Come on you big mutts, give her some space, let her sit down. No doubt she's still a little shaky and tired from everything," Emily said, pushing into the group, smiling at me, and taking my good arm gently to lead me to a log to sit on.

"Don't make her sit on that!" Jake said as if we'd insulted him. We both looked back to see that he'd brought a lawn chair with him, and apparently he'd brought it just for me.

"Jake! Wow, that was very…thoughtful of you," I said quietly as I sat down.

He was too tanned for me really see his blush but I knew it was there all the same.

We spent the rest of the night around the blue and green fire, laughing and joking and eating. Jake and I never left each other's sides and more than half the time our laughing and joking was only between the two of us. As the night lengthened and the fire died down I began to feel exceedingly colder. Jake seemed to realize this even without me telling him, because he grinned at me, pulled off his incredibly warm coat, and put it gently around my shoulders.

The night ended when it started to rain and Jake gracefully picked me up and raced me to the Rabbit. In a few minutes we were at his house and inside.

"Well…I'm going to sleep out here, you can have the bed," he said.

I gave him one of my looks, "you don't need to be the gentleman for me Jake. This is your house, it's your bedroom."

"I know that, but I have to patrol at dawn anyway, and I don't want to walk around the house in the morning with you on the couch and risk waking you up. It'd just be easier if you took the bed."

I sighed, nodded, hugged him with one arm, and kissed his cheek. "Well then good night Jake," I whispered.

"Good night Bella," he whispered back.

The house was silent when I woke up in the morning. I glanced around Jake's room and almost jumped up and screamed when I saw Emily sitting in his computer chair, watching me with a smile.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for it being so long since the last update, blame it on the holidays and this crazy weather in Illinois. We decided that this chapter should be about Emily telling Bella the dangers of being with a werewolf, since it was kind of overlooked in the book. Hope you enjoy, as always R&R!**

**CHAPTER 8**

"Oh no, I wasn't talking again was I?" I whispered in dread, pushing my hair back from my face, still wondering where Jake was. "Where's Jake?"

Emily smiled at me and even though one side of her face was scarred I could see through it to her beauty. "No Bella," she said with a little laugh. "No, I just wanted to talk to you. And Jake is on patrol, he didn't want to wake you up."

I sat up straight, pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around my blanket covered legs. "Have I done something wrong?" I asked.

"No," she laughed again. "No, you haven't done anything wrong. I just wanted to talk to you about Jacob. I saw you two last night and I know how close you are. Bella, I don't want you to tell Jacob what we talk about today," she said softly, looking me in the eye.

I nodded, "I won't tell him anything you don't want me to, I promise. But…what are we talking about anyway? You don't want us to be together?" I asked feeling a little hurt that the other 'wolf girl' didn't want me to be part of the family.

"Its not that I don't want you to be together Bella. I want you to understand exactly what you're getting into by getting involved with Jake intimately."

"You mean you want to warn me that he might…attack me like Sam attacked you…" I said hesitantly, looking down at my interlaced fingers.

Emily got up and went to the window, staring out as if there was something actually interesting besides trees and rain. Suddenly she turned around, "of course I want to warn you about that Bella! You're a very pretty girl, a very nice one too. I don't want you to get hurt in any way over Jacob. You can see plainly the damage they can do, but Bella, really! They kill vampires! You are much more fragile than a vampire; therefore just a swipe could kill you. I was lucky to get away with just these scars!"

"I know you're trying to help Emily, and I understand why you think you have to help, but Jake would never hurt me. Jake loves me," I replied as if that was all there was to it.

Emily gave me a sad smile, "I was just like you once Bella, pretty, naïve, trusting, and look where it got me? Sure I'm very happy with Sam and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but you have no idea how it feels to be stared at and talked about like I am."

I frowned at her, insulted, "naïve? Trusting? You forget Emily; I hung around with vampires for more than a year. You can't go that long with a bunch of creatures that drink blood and stay 'naïve and trusting'. And you're right, I don't know what it's like to be stared at and talked about. But I do know that I love Jacob and I would willingly withstand the stares for the rest of my life if it meant I got him too. Besides, you said it yourself, you're happy with Sam; you wouldn't trade it, so why would you ask me to do it?" I demanded.

Emily held up her hands, "you misunderstand me Bella! I don't want you not to be involved with Jake, actually I think you two look very sweet together. It's just that I want you to be absolutely sure of what you're getting into, what you could be trading to be with him. No matter what you say Bella, there is no guarantee that he won't get mad and hit you, or any of the many things that could happen. Sam said he would never hurt me either, and believe me, if Jake hurts you it won't be on purpose. And there's always the slim chance he'll imprint on someone else. You've seen by now how Leah Clearwater is, she was at the bonfire. You can tell she's still heartbroken about what happened. Are you willing to feel like that? To know it's possible? Please, just think about it," she pleaded.

I closed my eyes and heaved a sigh. I nodded as I opened my eyes again. "I'll think about it, and while I don't think Jake will ever imprint I know what you mean and I will consider it in depth before I make up my mind. But Emily, why don't you want Jake to know you talked to me?" I asked.

"Oh, um, well he asked me not to actually. He feared that…he thought that if I told you about the dangers of being with him you would run back to Edward Cullen and he would never have another chance with you. He really does love you Bella."

"I know," I said quietly. "More than I deserve I think sometimes."

"I'm sure that's not true."

I just shrugged, "either way, this talk will stay a secret between us."

"Thank you Bella. I would hate to have a fight with Jake, he's like my little brother, he's by far one of the most cheerful of the pack. I'm sure I can attribute some, or most, of that to you," she said with a smile.

My smile answered hers, "I guess so…really I think he's like that naturally. And he's made me so happy since all my problems started with Edward started. If it hadn't been for him I would probably still be a zombie sitting in my room, not even realizing what was going on."

Emily inspected my face, "you don't feel anything for him anymore do you?" she asked with a tone of great surprise. "Edward I mean. You don't love him anymore."

I shook my head, "no, truthfully I don't know if I ever really loved Edward, I think maybe I loved the idea of a man, or vampire, that was willing to do anything for me. Someone who was willing to take everything that was me and be happy with it. But I don't need that anymore, I need someone who's willing to tell me my faults, to let me do things for myself. Thank you for your advice Emily, and I really will think about it."

With a nod, Emily surprised me with a hug. "No problem Bella. I think I should be going now though. I told Jake I was going to keep you company while he was on patrol and he should be back any minute."

"Okay. I'll see you later then. I'm almost positive I'll be hanging around with the pack a lot more now."

"Just make sure you eat before any get together, because I can't guarantee there will be food for you with all those pigs eating me out of my house."

We shared a laugh before Emily left the room, leaving me to contemplate what she'd said to me. Was I willing to risk the possible wounds Jake could inflict on me? Was I willing to risk everything to be with him? And then it clicked, these were easy questions. I would risk anything and everything to be with Jake, he was my life now, my source for everything good and warm.


	9. Author Note: Complications

**Hi everyone. I know it has been a long time since this story has been updated. The main reason for that is my friend, Unexpected Answers, and I have had kind of a falling out. It's complicated and we don't talk very much anymore, and she hasn't said anything about the story in a long time. But I didn't want to just continue without her in case she suddenly decided to be interested again. So as of right now I do not know if this story will continue. I have been very busy with work and starting college again this week so as soon as I am able I will try to ask her if she wants to continue the story. If she does not, I will try my best to finish it on my own. Again, I'm sorry it's been incredibly long, I'll try to change that.**


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